Bamboo House Research Articles

Using the Problem-Based Learning in STEM Teaching About Bamboo Toothpick Houses

In Vietnam, there are currently stable and comprehensive innovations in the field of education. Educational scientists have shifted from knowledge-focused teaching to competency teaching. Since then, there have been more new research directions in teaching than in the past, such as integrated teaching, practical application of mathematics and STEM teaching, etc. In these directions, STEM teaching is a new and broad topic. In particular, there are many teaching methods used in STEM teaching. Some people use project teaching, some use discovery teaching, and some others use cooperative teaching methods. Through the research process, we found that STEM is an integrated area, so we should choose one of the most appropriate ways to approach it. That is a problem-based learning method. How does STEM teaching work with problem-based learning? To illustrate this STEM teaching work, we will use the design and implementation of the model of a bamboo toothpick house at Ho Chi Minh City International College.

Application of Ventilation Technology of Bamboo Houses in Modern High-Rise Buildings

<p>The principle of L-shaped natural ventilation system of bamboo houses, traditional buildings in the hot-humid area of Lingnan, China, is now widely applied in the design of modern high-rise buildings. Taking the typical building case, the office building of Guangzhou Zhujiang Power Plant as an example, this article studies the natural ventilation system by the experimental method of combining actual measurement and simulation. It is concluded that the application benefits of the natural ventilation system in high-rise buildings can be improved by forming a complete ventilation path, increasing the area of air inlet and the distance between air inlet and air outlet.</p><p> </p>

Sustainable bamboo housing for the earthquake prone areas

Bamboo-based housing systems are prevalent as a vernacular type of construction in many parts of the world where bamboo is available locally. Even in India, bamboo-based houses are not so uncommon, especially in the north-eastern part, which is seismically the most vulnerable zone. Structural evaluation, chiefly seismic evaluation, significantly requires a lot of infrastructures. Prohibitively expensive infrastructure cannot be used to evaluate housing systems which themselves are extremely low-cost in nature. There is a need to evaluate the components of a bamboo-based housing system in addition to the full-scale models under seismic loads by using simple and cost-effective facilities. A seismic evaluation of a full-scale bamboo housing system was carried out on two models using a shock table test facility. This helped in identifying the extreme limits of seismic vulnerability of the bamboo-based housing system. From this study, it was observed that the model did not collapse nor did it show any signs of collapse. Also, there were no indications of any tendency of any local collapse of the roofing elements. Hence, it can be concluded that the model had fulfilled the requirement of resisting major levels of lateral forces without losing its stability.

Retraction Note: On the seismic performance of bamboo structure

While the earthquake resistant building design and construction code has been developed in sophisticated national/city level, the implementation at the local level has been more of an exception than the rule. Other than concrete and steel, one such material that can be used in construction in the seismic zone area of the developing countries like India, especially in the northeast states, is bamboo, where bamboo is available in abundant. Bamboo’s light weight and relative flexibility make it a particularly attractive alternative for residential construction in seismic regions. Compared on a mass-per-volume basis to concrete, steel and wood, bamboo is second to concrete for strength, and ranks first for stiffness. As strong as mild steel with the compression strength of concrete, amazingly, one inch of bamboo can hold up to 7 1/2 tons of weight. This present study is an attempt to implement bamboo construction in Manipur which is regarded as one of the most seismically active regions worldwide. In this work, a bamboo housing system and a reinforced concrete frame structural system was modeled using finite element analysis program SAP, considering the model structures to be taken from the types of building that is built in Manipur. A parametric study is conducted to investigate the seismic performance of the structures and El-Centro Earthquake and Kobe Earthquake recorded excitation are used for input in the dynamic analysis on the models. The study has revealed that the bamboo structures are performing better in earthquake than the commonly built RC residential building. The behavior of the bamboo structure modeled in this present study gives an opportunity to accept bamboo as a construction material in seismic zone areas.

Enhancing Strength of Bamboo using GFRP and PU

Bamboo is an eco-friendly material, it can be used in various applications such as bamboo housing, bamboo bridges, bamboo scaffolding, ply bamboo, bamboo furniture, and for defence applications. It has various advantages to be used as structural material. However, it has weaknesses such as crushing failure under extreme loading that need to be addressed. The objective of this research is to enhance bamboo bearing and bending capacity using various stiffeners. Experimental work done is to investigate the compressive strength, bending strength, bearing strength and tensile strength of raw local bamboo. Further analysis includes bending and bearing strength of raw bamboo and strengthen bamboo using Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) and Polyurethane (PU) Foams. From the test done, the bearing strength of raw bamboo Semantan with node is between 2.61 MPa to 3.14 MPa and for raw bamboo Semantan without node is between 0.28 MPa to 0.82 MPa, average bending strength of raw bamboo Semantan is 59 MPa. For strengthen bamboo with 4 layers of Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer, the bearing strength without node is between 1.59 MPa to 2.38 MPa, and the average bending strength is 62 MPa which is about 5% higher than raw bamboo.

RATS TRAPPING AT DIFFERENT TYPES OF LOCATION IN LIWA BOTANICAL GARDEN, LAMPUNG, INDONESIA

Motivation/Background: Rat is cosmopolitan animal which means they can live in all type of places worldwide, including highlands, lowlands, rice fields, forests, and settlements. A high rat population can have an impact on losses in various fields of human life. The Liwa Botanical Garden is one of the areas developed for tourism so the presence of rats is important to note.
 Method: This study aims to determine the success rate of rat catching in Liwa Botanical Garden by different type of trapping location, namely bamboo groves, houses, river banks, and gardens. The traps were set every day for 10 days. The observations included the number of individual, the type of rat, sex and size of the trapped mice. All the data obtained were analyzed descriptively.
 Results: The live trapping resulted in 11 individuals of small mammals belongs to three species namely Rattus exultant, Hylomys suillus and Suncus murinus. Among the four trapping location, bamboo groves is the place that catches the most, and the females were trapped more than the males.

PROTECTING BAMBOO COLUMN FROM HUMIDITY WITH POROUS PEDESTAL FOUNDATION

Bamboo has been used for a long time as a material for simple to complex structures. Many advantages of bamboo as a building material makes it suitable for buildings in disaster-prone areas. Bamboo is however prone to humidity, which could cause fungi and moss to emerge and endanger the building structure. Pedestal foundation made of concrete or stone is often used to reduce this risk as for its action as a barrier of direct contact between soil and bamboo. Nevertheless, water from damp soil or rainwater can still penetrate the foundation by capillary transmission through the foundation’s pores. This research proposed a hollow pedestal foundation model with larger pores and compared its ability to reduce moisture on bamboo columns to an ordinary pedestal foundation. The case study is a temporary post-disaster housing project of 13 houses in Muntilan, Central Java, Indonesia, which was built on an active rice field. Visual examination showed that after 5 years of occupancy, bamboo houses built on hollow pedestal foundations still firmly stood without apparent attacks of fungi or overgrowing mold, whereas the moisture measurement showed that the usage of hollow pedestal foundation could reduce the humidity level in the bamboo column almost twice as fast compared to solid pedestal foundation.

Making Aspirations Concrete? ʻGood Houses' and Mockery in Upland Laos

ABSTRACT In the hills of northern Laos, dotted with more or less circular arrangements of wooden and bamboo houses, concrete houses have recently been appearing. The physical but also imaginary emergence of concrete houses has triggered local re-examinations of what good houses entail. With this change in vernacular architecture being hitherto unprecedented, house building projects have become a salient topic of talk among the Khmu, upland dwellers of northern Laos. This article uses the case of the first semi-concrete house erection and instances of mockery to show, firstly, that the adoption of new building materials displays the builder’s aspirations and independence, which are eventually outweighed by the conflicting desire to establish a socially secure house; secondly, attention will be given to a more elusive reaction, the resonance of possible upcoming socio-economic difference in ironical remarks that can be understood as an engagement with upland futures, characterised by both hope and uncertainty.

The form of the traditional bamboo house in the Makassar culture: A cultural semiotic study

Abstract This study aims to explain (1) the form of a traditional house made of bamboo in Makassar culture; (2) the components of the traditional houses made of bamboo and their respective functions; and (3) socio-cultural dimensions of the shape and structure traditional house constructed of bamboo in Makassar culture. To discuss these problems, we used the Saussure’s Structural Linguistics approach (semiology) and Levi Strauss’ Structural Anthropology. Both are elaborated into cultural semiotics. The data collection methods used were field surveys (observation) accompanied by technical documentation, interviews, and records. Data were analyzed qualitatively. Results of the research indicate that the traditional house form made of bamboo in Makassar culture is generally divided into three parts, either vertically or horizontally. Vertically, the upper part is called pammakkang ‘attic’; the middle part is called kale ballak ‘house body’; and the bottom is called siring ‘underneath.’ Horizontally, the front is called paddaserang ri dallekang ‘vestibule’; the middle section is called paddaserang ri tangnga ‘living room’; the backside is called paddaserang ri boko ‘back room.’ The components of the upper, middle, and lower houses show opposition to each other. However, these components are logically related and related to one another so as to form a meaningful social and cultural construction. The shape and structure of traditional houses in Makassar culture is influenced by socioeconomic and socio-cultural factors (cosmology, belief, and social stratification).

DESIGN CONCEPTS FOR THE INTEGRATION OF BAMBOO IN CONTEMPORARY VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE

ABSTRACT This paper discusses the development of design concepts for a row of typical bamboo houses, including the layout configuration and the function/aesthetics properties that are important from an architectural perspective. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the role of bamboo in investigations of structural and sustainability benefits and to highlight key research ideas that are important for industrialized production and cultural systems. The development of bamboo housing systems can advance efforts directed at securing home ownership for low-income families through lowering the construction costs to levels that are within their budgets. This paper aims to demonstrate approaches for using bamboo as a structural material for low-income and affordable housing. Bamboo housing can improve the financial stability and economic sustainability of low-income families. This paper presents a review of examples of vernacular architecture and building elements and then highlights the design of two bamboo-structure residential houses based on bio-climatic design strategies.

Design concepts for the integration of bamboo in contemporary vernacular architecture

ABSTRACTThis paper discusses the development of design concepts for a row of typical bamboo houses, including the layout configuration and the function/aesthetics properties that are important from an architectural perspective. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the role of bamboo in investigations of structural and sustainability benefits and to highlight key research ideas that are important for industrialized production and cultural systems. The development of bamboo housing systems can advance efforts directed at securing home ownership for low-income families through lowering the construction costs to levels that are within their budgets. This paper aims to demonstrate approaches for using bamboo as a structural material for low-income and affordable housing. Bamboo housing can improve the financial stability and economic sustainability of low-income families. This paper presents a review of examples of vernacular architecture and building elements and then highlights the design of two bamboo-structure residential houses based on bio-climatic design strategies.

Structural Bamboo Building Codes: Catalysts for Industry, Research, and Construction Technology

On April 16, 2016, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake destroyed over 35,000 homes along the Pacific coast of Ecuador, leaving more than 140,000 people without permanent housing. However, bamboo houses proved resilient to the seismic forces, prompting a reevaluation of the material and the creation of an Ecuadorian bamboo building code. Public, private, and academic initiatives are addressing industry challenges and developing improved bamboo construction methods that are rebranding the stigmatized material. This research documents improvements to the bamboo supply chain in Peru and Ecuador through interviews conducted with architects, engineers, and agroforestry experts across the region. The results highlight hybridized solutions that are propelling the industry toward standardizing its practices and scaling structural bamboo housing from a disaster reconstruction strategy toward mainstream use across South America.

Keeping the Floating House Afloat in Banjarmasin: Implementation Potential of EPS Floating Technology for Foundation Engineering

Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan has traditional house in form ofLanting/raft house. At present the population of Lanting house is lacking, among others, due to the funding of bamboo house is quite expensive. Ministry of Public Works and Housing R and D Agency was built Floatingmeeting hall in Semarang 2016 ago with EPS technology. Since thefoundation of the bamboo is more expensive and the number of bamboo isfewer, this study eagers to see to what extent the typology analysis ofexsisting Lanting house, to see the characteristic of floaing technology(EPS) as a substitude of conventional lating foundation, the engineering ofLanting house design using EPS and how is the comparation of materialcharacteristic of local float and EPS pontoon. Research approach withqualitative and supported by quantitative data. Conclusions are theconstruction of Lanting house roof generally uses saddle shape, a light andsimple roof construction. All Lanting houses in Martapura river usessaddle roof construction. The load capacity EPS per module meter is 5 tonsper kg. This Pontoon technology is the result of fabrication that can beapplied for various structural and architectural purposes both on land andon water. Having advantages other than environmentally friendly and thedimensions of structural materials can be custom this material has a heatresistance of up to 600. From Comparison of characteristic of local floatmaterial and EPS pontoon, EPS pontoon is reliable and better than floatmaterial.

Research on the Architectural Design Method of Green Materials Related to Teahouse Space: Taking the Bamboo House for example

Bamboo is widely used in many types of architectural space because of its unique green material properties. The architectural space constructed by bamboo presents a kind of light and ethereal space intention of “modest architecture”. Kengo Kuma is the representative figures of contemporary Japanese architects, within his architectural works also possess such a deliberate weakening of the form of expression, pay attention to the nature of the operation of space. With the analysis of bamboo house and architectural design ideas, this article wants to explore the concrete application of bamboo material in contemporary teahouse space design based on “modest architecture” design idea. It provides a different perspective for the study of spatial design theory related to green materials.

Role of spiritual Leadership in responsible and sustainable organizations – A study of select organizations in India

Spiritual leadership is emerging as central aspect of workplace spirituality, and more importantly in the context of social and sustainable enterprises, which are primarily driven by mission of benefitting society at large. There is also paradigm shift by the organizations towards triple bottom line (people, planet and profits). Indian scriptures have defined the duties and obligations of individuals to the welfare of the others and nature as NriRin or Manushya-rin and BhutaRin. The research paper analysis few social and sustainable organizations in India, such as Sri Ramakrishna Matt and Ramakrishna Misson, The Akhsypatra Foundation (TAF), Aravind eye hospital, Bamboo house India, Mitticool and TirumalaTirupathiDevasthanmas (TTD) and Indian Institutes of Management (IIM's) in the context of spiritual leadership and managerial excellence, and attempts to build a conceptual framework to understand these organizations. The poor people (defined by the World Bank's definition of below US$2 a day) can have access to services and products other than those that are absolutely essential only if they are provided free of cost. Paradoxically in India, where the five forces air water, land, fire and space are worshiped and are considered as part of individual human body or the larger cosmic body, India is fastest growing major polluter in the world . This also calls for eco -entrepreneurship and responsibility at corporate and even individual to fight the global challenge of environmental degradation and disaster. The study finds that organizations with spiritual leadership and selfless innovations, values as means and have achieved very high positive impact on social and environmental aspects.

Bamboo use for the housing industry in Ghana: Urban Stakeholders’ Perception

The study was undertaken to determine stakeholders’ perception on bamboo housing; finding the benefits and identifyingperceived challenges in the use of bamboo for housing in urban centres. Personal interviews, questionnaire administration andfield observations were used to gather information from 114 purposively and conveniently selected respondents in Abokobi,Dwobor and Fumesua, as well as key informants from International Network for Bamboo and Rattan. Two main types ofbamboo housing were found in the study areas; the traditional bahareque and modern prefabricated bamboo houses. The resultsalso showed that affordability (35.9%), generation of employment (23.7%), easy maintenance (15.2%), good air circulation(10.7%), durability (7.8%), control of deforestation (4.1%) and purification of the environment (2.6%) were some of the benefitsstakeholders associated with the use of bamboo for housing. Lack of technical know-how (34.67%), people’s misconception aboutbamboo housing (33.33%), lack of funds (24.00%) and inadequate assistance from the government (8.00%) were perceivedchallenges encountered by people involved in bamboo housing. Most respondents hold the view that bamboo housing is forthe poor (44.00%), not durable (29.33%), lack of appropriate technology (16.00%) and unsuitable bamboo species (10.67%).Awareness creation in the use of bamboo for housing should involve intensive education on the use, treatment and qualities ofbamboo for housing in the various communities is paramount.

Method and application of characterisation of life cycle impact data of construction materials using geographic information systems

This research presents a methodology to characterize life cycle impact data (LCIA) of alternative construction materials outside of the European context. This methodology was based on the characterization of data and life cycle assessment (LCA) using geographic information systems (GIS), which has been proposed as an effective alternative for this purpose. The data were characterized at three levels: global, represented by different production efficiency of materials; regional, represented by the type of electricity mix used in the production and the national transport at the country level; and local, represented by external factors, such as seismic and wind risk zones at the city level. A comparative LCA was used as case study to test the methodology. The functional unit for the LCA was defined as an 18 m2 core shelter unit consisting of structural elements only. The bill of materials for five designs were calculated, each using a distinctive construction material: bamboo, brick, concrete hollow block, ferro-cement panels, and soil-stabilised bricks. The contributions’ variability and uncertainty analysis were used to validate the consistency of the results. The effect of the external constraints (earthquakes and wind) were analysed, and the environmental impact over the whole life cycle was assessed. Five house designs were calculated in twenty locations based on three levels of production efficiency and three transport distance ranges for each country. The results of the bamboo, concrete hollow block and ferro-cement houses overlapped and changed depending on the construction materials’ transport distance. Therefore, the level of impact of an average bamboo house can also be achieved by a high-performance block or ferro-cement house. The results showed that in most cases, the buildings with high technical performance can be achieved with low environmental impacts. The use of GIS enables the development of characterized LCIA data for construction materials and buildings with a high degree of consistency. Moreover, the proposed approach was able to accurately represent the range of production practices used outside Europe. Finally, the use of the proposed methodology allows for the assessment of building in the early stages of design when uncertainty is at its highest, thereby identifying the improvement potential of each design and recognising the structural needs in specific locations.

COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE THERMAL ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSES OF INDIGENOUS BAMBOO AND MODERN BRICK HOUSES IN HOT-HUMID CLIMATE OF MALAYSIA

Vernacular houses using indigenous building materials have shown to be a good strategy for sustainable energy consumption without compensating the occupant’s indoor thermal comfort. Bamboo has been identified as the most used building material for vernacular houses in South-East Asia region. However, very little investigation has been conducted to study the passive performance of a bamboo house in maintaining indoor thermal comfort. This study compares the indoor microclimate conditions using thermal comfort Predicted Mean Vote and Predicted Percentage of Dissatisfied models (PMV-PPD) developed by American Society Heating, Refrigerating and Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) between indigenous bamboo house (H1) and modern brick house (H2) at a village located in the Ulu Gombak Forest Reserve, Selangor. Observations on environmental factors and predicted thermal comfort satisfaction level between day and night times were also taken into consideration. The findings suggest that the use of bamboo plus other vernacular house design features such as raising a house on stilts, located on hilly site and providing air permeability in H1 can lead to a thermally comfortable indoor environment, particularly during night time.

EFFECTS OF IRRIGATION FREQUENCY AND LEAF DETACHMENT ON CHRYSANTHEMUM GROWN IN TWO TYPES OF PLASTIC HOUSE

Chrysanthemum is one of important ornamentals in Indonesia and it ranks in the first quantity of cut flower marketed every year. In most cases, the low productivity is still a constraint for the traditional growers to make production process profitable. Several problems revealed in chrysanthemum production were investigated. The study dealt with the effect of two types of plastic house constructions, irrigation frequency, and leaf detachment on the growth and development of chrysanthemum. The experiment was conducted at Segunung, Indonesian Ornamental Plants Research Institute during the dry season of 2005. A nested design with six replications was used. The results showed that plants grown in wood-constructed plastic house had better growth performance and flower quality than those under bamboo plastic house. Longer stem and higher plant fresh weight with more flowers and longer life span were also observed on chrysanthemum irrigated four times per week than those irrigated twice per week. Leaf removal often practiced by the growers is no longer recommended, since the number of leaves on the plant influenced all parameters observed. The more leaves were detached, the more negative impacts on plant growth were found.

EFFECTS OF IRRIGATION FREQUENCY AND LEAF DETACHMENT ON CHRYSANTHEMUM GROWN IN TWO TYPES OF PLASTIC HOUSE

Chrysanthemum is one of important ornamentals in Indonesia and it ranks in the first quantity of cut flower marketed every year. In most cases, the low productivity is still a constraint for the traditional growers to make production process profitable. Several problems revealed in chrysanthemum production were investigated. The study dealt with the effect of two types of plastic house constructions, irrigation frequency, and leaf detachment on the growth and development of chrysanthemum. The experiment was conducted at Segunung, Indonesian Ornamental Plants Research Institute during the dry season of 2005. A nested design with six replications was used. The results showed that plants grown in wood-constructed plastic house had better growth performance and flower quality than those under bamboo plastic house. Longer stem and higher plant fresh weight with more flowers and longer life span were also observed on chrysanthemum irrigated four times per week than those irrigated twice per week. Leaf removal often practiced by the growers is no longer recommended, since the number of leaves on the plant influenced all parameters observed. The more leaves were detached, the more negative impacts on plant growth were found.